In all winter sports regions there is a wide range of options for all holidaymakers and athletes who do not want to complete one run after the other, but prefer to take it easy.
Austria scores points over its international competitors with charm and hospitality. This is especially true for winter holidays, where charm is often replaced by rusticity, and in some cases even exaggerated. Austrian flair is loved, regardless of whether the hospitality is celebrated with refined charm or robust Alpine directness. That's why all winter sports regions today offer a wide range of options for all holidaymakers and athletes who don't ski one run after another, but prefer to take it easy for a change. This can take the form of social gatherings around a tiled stove or the still popular, boisterous and excessive "après-ski," which was only temporarily suspended during the pandemic. The many ski huts and bars right next to the slopes are as tempting as ever – driving past them is not an option for many. And for some, the stopover immediately leads directly into the evening's relaxation program. These include cult drinks like Jagatee (Jagertee), mulled wine or cider, fig vodka, Flügelrl (a traditional German snack), or the occasional beer. The opportunity to enjoy a drink or two during a stopover, strike up a flirt, or simply have a good time in beautiful surroundings – invigorated by the fresh mountain air – is what makes stopping off at one of the many ski huts so special.
The diversity of offerings is certainly growing from year to year: Not only locations that combine a high-alpine atmosphere with a luxury lifestyle are now increasingly focusing on a chilled-out lounge atmosphere – for example, in the Hochzillertal, where the Kristallhütte and Wedelhütte offer highly sophisticated mountain hut retreats with correspondingly sophisticated cuisine. Or the renovated Hochalm of the Hotel Marten in Saalbach. In Serfaus, in the ski lounge at an altitude of 1,900 meters, you can first swap your heavy ski boots for cozy felt slippers and enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of red wine on comfortable leather sofas, by the open fireplace, or at a coveted restaurant table. And this principle will continue to be applied in various forms even in post-pandemic times, from the Arlberg and Ischgl to smaller ski resorts.
The Gamskogel Hut on the Katschberg, on the other hand, has had a decorated toque-winning chef in the kitchen for two seasons. Stefan Lastin, who already
The restaurant, which once offered excellent, top-quality fine dining at the Schlosshotel Velden and Fuschl, as well as at Frierss Feines Haus, now conjures up magic in the ski resort right on the Carinthian-Salzburg border at 1,850 meters above sea level. The hut has a lounge on the upper floor, while the lower floor offers traditional mountain lodge charm – fine dishes made with regional products are available on both levels – including on special gourmet evenings, where guests are transported up the mountain by skidoo after the lifts close.
Party locations where the party really gets going are indestructible – not only younger people like to party non-stop, but older crowds too. Take the legendary Mooser Wirt in St. Anton am Arlberg, where skiers and snowboarders let loose in the afternoon, fueled by a DJ. A similar caliber is the Lürzer Alm in Obertauern, where après-ski also used to start in the afternoon and last until the early morning hours. Even bigger and much more down-to-earth is the Hohenhaus Tenne in Schladming, the largest après-ski hut in the Alps: Spanning five floors and over 3,000 square meters, it features its own event hall and a separate fast-food area. The rustic Flexenhäusel, part of the Hotel Edelweiss in Zürs, is particularly special, where the legendary fondue dinner regularly turns into a cool party complete with a disco ball and fire show, and guests dance on the tables. The overall offering is enormous – although perhaps not always as spectacular as the examples mentioned. Examples include the Zauberbar on the Semmering River, the futuristic hotspot Fire and Ice in Sölden, the Schneggarei in Lech, the Ice Bar in Mayrhofen, or Club Pascha in Ischgl, which has nothing in common with a mountain hut but is a cool discotheque.
Most huts have always been quite down-to-earth, focusing on conviviality over elegance, and guaranteeing an authentic experience of nature and local life. Huts like the Bärenbadalm in the Kitzbühel ski area offer a professionally executed lounge and hut atmosphere, while the Gampe Thaya in Sölden has retained its typical mountain hut character. Nevertheless, once you're above the fog and tree line, traditional mountain rules dictate that everyone is on first-name terms, and even in the cozy atmosphere of a hut parlor, there's usually no inhibition about socializing – the popular squeezing together when space gets a little tight to exchange a few words with those sitting next to you is common practice. What unites everyone is the joy of winter sports and nature, the good mood after a relaxing day on the slopes, and the prospect of a tasty meal, as many huts serve homemade specialties – be it Schlutzkrapfen (a kind of dumpling), Kasnudeln (cheese dumplings), regional sausages, strudel, or pastries.
At the Edelweißhütte on the Mariazeller Bürgeralpe, for example, it's the homemade grammel dumplings with sauerkraut and the popular semolina casserole with strawberry sauce that tempt visitors to the hut's owner, "Pfanni." At the Bründlstadl on the Hochkönig, hearty cheese dumplings are served in traditional giant pans. At the Schutzhaus Unterberg in the Lower Austrian ski area of the same name, Bavarian white sausages with pretzels and a selection of wheat beer tempt skiers and ski tourers. At the Schwaigerhütte on the Styrian Stuhleck, it's the homemade pastries, soups, and sandwiches. At the Pöllinger-Hütte or the HuabaHittn on the Carinthian Gerlitzen, Carinthian cheese dumplings, Kaiserschmarren (sweet pancakes), or a traditional Bretteljause (a traditional Austrian snack), the Zachhofalm in the Maria Alm (Höchkönig) region is a delight, both as a hut and as a gastronomic experience, and also serves vegan dishes daily. Ski amadé also exudes a sense of enjoyment during the Ski and Wine Enjoyment Week, when the huts transform into culinary stages under the motto "Skiing and Austrian Wine." There are also events like the "Folk Music Ski Hut Roas" in huts in the Hochkönig region, where guests can enjoy authentic folk music and regional delicacies. Furthermore, over 40 events take place at the 28 partner huts during the Ski and Wine Enjoyment Week. These include wine tastings where fine Austrian wines can be sampled and live music provides atmospheric entertainment. One example is the Kogelalm in Wagrain, which was voted "Best Ski amadé Enjoyment Partner 2024" in a public vote.
One thing is certain: coziness remains the primary goal when chilling out in a rustic hut during or after a day of winter sports. An experience that will remain an essential part of a perfect day of skiing. The range of options is vast and tempting across Austria.